Summer Days
by tbehartoo
Summary: Levy and Lisanna are spending a summer getting to know one another better. A modern day AU
1. Beach Blanket Book Club

~Meeting for the first time~

Levy McGarden took the book out of her beach bag and settled down on the large towel she'd spread on the warm sand. With an appreciative sigh, she lifted her face to the sun soaking in its warmth as a cool breeze wafted in from the ocean. Final exams were over, and it was finally warm enough to do one of her favorite activities, read a book at the beach. She had chosen a paperback of her favorite writer to accompany her to the seaside. This volume was well worn and dogeared so she wasn't too concerned if it got wet or otherwise destroyed. In any case, she knew this story by heart and almost didn't need the book. She was just about to get lost in the intrigues of pushy mothers and scheming daughters in Regency England when a voice caught her attention.

"Excuse me, but weren't you in Professor Heartfilia's Modern Lit class?" The young woman asking was wearing red shorts, a blue tank top, and pink cat-eye sunglasses. In one arm she carried a blanket and her flip-flops, the other hand was nervously gripping a novel.

"Mondays and Wednesdays? 9 am?" Levy asked.

Relief showed on the other woman's face. "That's the one! I thought the blue hair looked familiar, but I wasn't entirely sure. You're…. Levy, right?" Levy nodded. "I'm Lisanna." She smiled and held up her book. "I guess we both had the same idea."

Levy grinned back at her, "Well you've got to admit it is a perfect day for it."

"That it is," Lisanna agreed. She dropped her shoes and started spreading her blanket out a few feet from Levy. "I'm just so glad that the semester is over."

"Me, too," Levy grimaced as she thought back over the semester she had just survived then added, "How do you think you did on the final? That last essay question was totally unexpected."

Lisanna laughed, a light and happy sound, before answering. "Professor Heartfilia actually is heartless!" she declared as she settled onto her blanket. "After a semester going over what makes something literature in these modern times, and that scathing lecture about fan fiction, she goes and demands that we show how fan fiction is actually the best example of modern literature?" Lisanna shook her head. "She's got to be a demon in angel's clothing."

"Agreed," Levy chuckled. "So what are you reading?" she asked, curious.

"Charles Dickens," Lisanna held up the book so that the title could be read.

"Great Expectations?" was the incredulous reply. "You're reading that? … For fun?"

"Oh no," came the shy answer, "I have an English Lit class next semester and this is one of the few books on the list that I haven't read yet." She pulled the sunglasses from her face and laid them next to her. "I prefer to read Dickens when it's sunny because it can be far too dreary and depressing."

Levy laughed again. "You're right about that, and I like your solution."

"Thank you," she said with a grin. "So, what are you reading?"

"One of my favorites," Levy said with a sigh, "Pride and Prejudice."

"Have you seen the new movie?" Lisanna asked eagerly.

"Girlfriend please," she said with a small wave of her hand, "I've seen every movie from the times of black and white film to P & P with zombies."

"Which one is your favorite?"

"Well, that's hard to say," she paused to think, "I love them all, not so much the zombie one since I'm not really a fan of zombies, but I'd say it's a close tie between the long version with Colin Firth and the cinematically shorter, but still lovely, Keira Knightley one."

"Why those ones?" Lisanna asked.

"The clothes!" Levy was sitting up, excited to be discussing one of her favorite subjects. "I love all things from Elizabethan to Victorian, especially the women's dresses, but once I saw those Empire waists in person and the flow of those gowns…" she sighed, "It was love at first sight."

Lisanna giggled, "I understand the appeal." She leaned a little closer, "I confess that I love Victorian Era clothing, too. Those clothing silhouettes are remarkable." She paused then added, "Even though the lengths women went through to achieve them were ridiculous!"

"That is a topic I could write a book about," Levy said. "Actually, I have written several essays on the topic. I could probably put them together to make a book," she mulled the thought over, "It'd be a rather slim volume though," she added more to herself than to Lisanna, "And I'd need to do some serious editing."

"Well, I'll let you get on with your reading," Lisanna said when the conversation stalled for a moment.

"What?" Levy seemed to recall where she was with difficulty. "Oh, yeah," she said as she tried to hide behind her open book. "Sorry for zoning out like that.

Lisanna grinned. "Don't worry about it. I get that way when I'm thinking about a story, too." She rolled onto her stomach and opened her book. "Enjoy Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth with their verbal sparring."

"Oh," Levy said as she chuckled, "While I do love the main characters, my favorite pairing is Bingley and Jane." She smiled and answered the question so clearly written on Lisanna's disbelieving face. "They have a sweet and tender kind of love, and it spills over to all the people that see them so that the people looking at them are happy, too. That's the kind of relationship I'd like to have someday," she admitted as she looked down at her book. Finding her place, she began to read.

Lisanna thought for a moment and nodded. "Me, too," she said quietly.


	2. Smoothie Operator

~Lisanna buys Levy a drink~

"What a surprise meeting you here," a familiar voice says and Levy looked up from the book she's reading. At the sight of the woman heading in her direction, she beams.

"Lissie," Levy sighs a bit at being interrupted at the exciting part, "it can't be much of a surprise. We both have jobs on the pier, and you know that I come down here for some fresh air and to read a few chapters on my lunch hour."

Lisanna smiles as she hands a cup of something frozen and orange to the seated woman.

"I do indeed know this Levy," she sits on the bench next to her, "and I also know that you tend to forget to eat during your lunch break. Which is why I brought you that smoothie. It's got mango, pineapple, and banana in it and I asked them to put in an extra shot of Vitamin B for you." She waited for Levy to take a sip before starting her own drink.

"Thanks, Lissie, you're a lifesaver!"

"I know," she said happily then sat quietly looking out over the waves. "So, what's the book this time? More Austin?"

"No, this is much more recent. It's a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, and I love it."

"That's one of my favorite fairy tales," Lisanna admitted.

"I'll have to loan you this one when I'm done then, but..." Levy trailed off.

"But what?"

"Well, it might not be to everyone's liking. It's a little different from the usual story line."

"Ooh, In what way?" Lisanna loved to hear Levy talk about the books that she read. She turned to give Levy her full attention.

"Well in this one the Beast doesn't get changed back to his human form. Which I'm happy about, because I never liked that he gets changed in the end," Levy pauses, thinking then adds, "I think that's one of the only things I've ever disliked about any version of the story."

"Why's that?"

"Okay," Levy put the book down to face Lisanna, "Usually the story is all about Beauty getting to know the Beast, right?"

"Yes?"

"And loving him for who he is and how he is, right?"

Again Lisanna felt compelled to agree.

"The point of the story was that she learned to love him for who he is at the moment, not who he used to be or who he could be some day. Which is an idea I can totally get behind. Not only that, but she loves him for the goodness she finds in his heart, not what he looks like! Well, then, why should he have to change if she loves him as he is? Warts and all."

Lisanna was silent for a minute. "I guess he shouldn't."

"Right?!" Levy is practically vibrating with righteous indignation.

She's about to continue when her phone chimes. Levy looked at it. "I've got to go, my time's almost up."

"Okay, I should probably head back to work, too," Lisanna said.

Levy picked up her purse and waved the smoothie toward Lisanna. "Thanks again!"

"No problem," Lisanna said with a grin.

Levy realizes there is a problem when she goes to put her personal items in her cubby. She forgot her book on the bench! There's not enough time for her to go back and retrieve it. If she leaves it there she just knows it will be gone by the time her shift is over. Maybe if she begs her manager she can get a few minutes? Normally it wouldn't matter, but that's the last book her grandma ever gave her. How could she have been so careless? Just as she's getting ready to beg Mr. Makarov for ten more minutes her phone rings with an unknown number. Normally she doesn't answer if she doesn't know who it is, but she's a little distraught over the loss of her book.

"Hello?" she almost sobs into the phone.

"Hey Levy, this is Lisanna," the voice says after just a moment's pause. "Did you know you left your book?"

"Yes!" the relief is evident even over the phone. "Did you happen to pick it up?"

Lisanna laughs, "Well I wouldn't be able to call you if I hadn't. I'm glad you're one of those people who put your name, number, and address in the front of your books, though leaving them laying around in public places afterward is a little dangerous."

"I don't do it for every book, just the ones I want to keep," Levy informed her.

"Did you want to meet me halfway to get it back?"

Levy heard someone clearing their throat just behind her. "Listen Lissie, can you hang on to it for me? I have to start my shift."

"Uh, sure," she said. "I'm closing tonight, so I can't get it back to you today. Could you maybe call me tomorrow so we can set up a time and place for me to return your property?"

"Okay, will do!" there was a huge smile on her face. "What would I do without you?" she sighed. "Thanks Lissie, you really are a lifesaver you know."

Lisanna laughed, and before she hung up she said, "I know."


	3. Welcome to Levy's Library

~Levy's Library Rule #3- Enjoy!~

Levy opened the door with a big smile on her face. "Lisanna! You found the house."

Lisanna returned the smile. "Well it did take a little bit of backtracking. I still mostly know the main streets, and I have yet to make the acquaintance of more than a few side streets."

"Come on in," Levy stood aside to let Lisanna through the doorway. "I'm sure you'll get to know Magnolia well by the time you've graduated from FT."

"I can only hope," Lisanna replied.

Lisanna looked around at the welcoming little house. There was a cozy looking couch and a couple of comfy looking chairs in the front room, surrounded by pictures of smiling people of various ages and heights. Levy gave her a brief tour. The tv room was open to the kitchen and dining area which Levy assured her was very convenient when her brother Gajeel was hosting football parties with his teammates. She lead Lisanna down a hall pointing out which door was for the bathroom versus the rooms for her siblings and parents. She paused in front of her door.

"I'm sorry that I didn't get my room cleaned up before you got here, but I really did try to straighten things up."

Lisanna was surprised by what greeted her eyes. She had expected a mess, there wasn't one really, but she hadn't anticipated the books! Upon opening the door there was a wall that was obviously the side of the closet and in front of it there was a red, two-shelf bookcase full of picture books and other well-loved children's stories. The wall above the bookcase had a poster welcoming all to "Levy's Library" followed by a few illustrated rules: 1-Always ask first, 2- Only two books at a time, 3- Enjoy! The wall opposite the door had a large window with a day-bed under it flanked by two small tables. There were books in piles on top of the tables, one had a laptop precariously perched on it as it charged. The rest of the room appeared to have floor to ceiling bookshelves, that were completely chocked full of books. It wasn't until Lisanna was fully in the room that she discovered the desk that was opposite the window. It was also filled with books and papers.

Levy was looking as Lisanna to see her reaction and couldn't help a sigh of relief when Lisanna grinned and said, "You live in a library!" She did a slow turn and continued, "This is like the best bedroom ever."

Levy chuckled then added, "Well I think so."

Lisanna pointed at the shelves. "May I?"

She was answered with a nod and a smile.

There was a wide variety of subjects and authors together on the shelves. Lisanna felt she could probably guess Levy's top three writers after she found several shelves dedicated to only their works. There was lots of fantasy/fiction, classical literature, mysteries, and fairy tales, but Levy also had sewing, cooking, motor repair, woodworking, and welding lining the wall. One shelf was book after book on animals and their environments. Another held anatomy and physiology textbooks as well as chemistry and math books. There were puzzle books, joke books that only an eight year old would find hilarious, and comic anthologies. Lisanna was amazed at the sheer amount of curiosity and interest that Levy displayed here.

"Ok, I've got to ask," Lisanna said as she frowned at a shelf, "I can sort of guess why a lot of the other books are put where they are but this one is a little confusing."

Levy chuckled. "That, my friend, is my shrine to all things Victorian. There's literature from that time period as well as stories set in that era. I have cookbooks, every day accounts, and Victorian life-hack type books. There are books on manners and etiquette from the time as well as commentary on how they have changed from that time to this. Medical practices (she shuddered), and modern compositions on the barbarism that was done in the name of medical science can be found next to each other. There's even a few books on the amazing women of the time that aren't given any mention in traditional accounts of the era."

"Wow," Lisanna said as she pulled one book from the shelf. "Great tea rooms of Fiore? I didn't know this was a thing."

"Oh yeah," Levy said. "There's even one here in town that's in that book."

"Really?"

"You've never been to the Gray House for high tea?" Levy asked.

"I can't say that I have," Lisanna said as she flipped through the pages.

"I guess not everyone was forced to have a week of lessons about proper etiquette before going there for a field trip in the sixth grade," Levy said.

Lisanna laughed and shook her head. "Oh look at this picture," she said as she tipped the page in Levy's direction, "they look so elegant and refined."

Levy moved to be next to her and looked at the picture. "They 's Mary Benson and her lover, Lucy Tait, after Mary's husband died and they were finally able to move into a home together."

Lisanna looked back at the picture. "Those two look so in love," she said softly.

"Why don't we do that?"

Lisanna looked up at her noting how close they were standing. "Why don't we do what?" she asked a little unsure as her pulse began to speed up.

"Why don't we get dressed up and go to high tea at the Gray House!" Levy said. "You don't know what you've missed out on from not growing up in Magnolia. There's all sorts of things around here that you ought to experience."

"And you'd be willing to show me?" Lisanna asked shyly.

"I'd love to," Levy said eagerly. She pulled out her phone and moved to sit at the desk. "When's your next day off? I can contact my friend who works there and she'll get us on the list."

"Oh, um, let me check," Lisanna said as she moved to sit on the only other chairlike surface. She scrolled through her work schedule willing her heart to calm down. She was so busy looking for the information that she missed Levy stealing a glance at her from across the room.

Levy smiled to herself. She was already formulating a list of places to show Lisanna. This summer was going to be great.


	4. Summer Tea Party

~Frilly dresses, sun hats, lace gloves, and cucumber sandwiches ~

Levy smiled as she and Lisanna took a picture in front of the sign for The Gray House. Lisanna was wearing a light pink sundress with dark pink roses and black foliage that climbed up from the bottom of her skirt to wrap around her waist, black lacy gloves, and a pink sun hat with black roses around the band. Levy's dress wasn't as formal but it had a skirt full of flowers and butterflies that swished when she twirled and that was the important part. In her three-inch heels, white satin gloves, and slightly anachronistic pillbox hat, she still felt adequately grand for their afternoon tea. They took one more picture making silly faces and then went inside to claim their reservation.

Levy enjoyed watching as Lisanna was stunned and awed by the interior. From the crystal chandeliers and golden sconces to the intricately decorated china on the impeccably set tables the tea room exuded an air of elegance and sophistication that never failed to impress. Lisanna seemed too dazzled to say anything when they were first seated and Levy took the opportunity to look around the familiar setting with new eyes.

"Levy this place looks amazing," Lisanna whispered.

Levy giggled. "It is, but you don't have to whisper."

"But it feels like someplace that you should, like a church or a, a library or something," Lisanna said quietly.

Levy grinned at her companion. "It is rather grand, but it's just a room."

"I imagine this is somewhat like how Elizabeth Bennet felt when first introduced to Lady Catherine de Bourgh," Lisanna said with a nervous laugh.

"Well channel your inner Lizzie and refuse to be cowed by the opulence," Levy suggested. "Besides, you look like you belong here Lisanna."

Lisanna merely blushed at the compliment and looked over the menu trying to regain her composure.

Juvia, Levy's friend, was their waitress. She suggested one of the set tasting menus since it was Lisanna's first visit, and the house blend of Earl Grey to drink. Both young women readily agreed to her suggestion.

Lisanna was amazed at the amount of food brought to the table on silver trays and in crystal bowls. There were finger sandwiches of course: cucumber, egg and cress, smoked salmon with cream cheese, and, surprisingly, ham and mustard; a variety of mini quiches and roll ups filled out the savory offerings. The sweets were almost as plentiful: scones with strawberry jam and clotted cream, lemon curd tartlets, russian tea cakes, and sparkling fruit cocktail were all present.

"Do they really think we can get through all of this?" Lisanna asked in awe.

"That's what I think every time we come here for Mother's Day," Levy said with a grin, "in the end you find yourself full yet still wanting more."

Juvia took their picture before they started eating and wished them a pleasant experience. Lisanna saw the wink that Juvia gave Levy before she left the table and tried not to frown.

"So, um," Lisanna cleared her throat, "how do you know Juvia?" she asked as she reached out for a sandwich that didn't seem quite as appetizing as it had a few seconds ago.

"Oh, she and my brother Gajeel used to date in high school," Levy said as she reached for a scone. "They broke up after going out for a couple of years, but we all liked her so much we asked mom if we could keep her and get rid of Gajeel. She said no, so we make sure keep in touch with Juvia as much as possible."

"Isn't that kind of hard on her?" Lisanna asked, her appetite suddenly recovering.

Levy shrugged. "It was a little awkward at first, but now she and her girlfriend, Lucy, are always joining us for family stuff." She smiled at Lisanna. "If my family likes you, we keep you no matter what."

Lisanna chuckled. "That sounds familiar. My mom only had three children with my dad, but she loves to adopt new people into the fam. It's not unusual to come home and find someone sitting at the table eating cookies and being introduced to them as, 'This is Lisanna, another of your new sisters.' I've lost track of all the honorary siblings she's brought in."

Levy just nodded her head not wanting to talk around the bite of tart in her mouth.

"My dad's just as bad," Lisanna continued putting clotted cream on a scone, "only he tends to bring home stray animals. We've had all sorts of cats, puppies, baby birds, and other wild animals too. The wild ones he makes sure to release if they can survive on their own, but otherwise they stay with us until the end of their unnaturally long And happy lives."

They chatted and ate through all the treats in front of them not even noting the passage of time. Their conversation ranged all over a variety of topics from the mundane to the extraordinary. Eventually they realized how late it had become and signaled Juvia for the bill.

Levy took one look at the receipt, quickly closed the holder, and began to blush. She got a serious look on her face. "How do you feel about inheriting two older brothers, a brother-in-law, two nephews, a family friend and her girlfriend, and a younger sister?"

Lisanna let out a loud laugh then slapped a hand over her mouth. Levy giggled at the scandalized look on Lisanna's face.

"I think I'd like that," Lisanna said. "How do you feel about being adopted into my family and gaining another older brother, an older sister, and her wife and husband?"

"Oooh, I've always wanted an older sister," Levy admitted, "but," she seemed to think quite seriously as Lisanna started to worry, "I can't say that I ever wanted another older brother."

Lisanna let out the breath she'd been holding. "How about we trade?" she suggested. "You take Elfman and I'll take Gajeel."

Levy smiled. "It's a deal!"


	5. Lockser's Water World

~Local water park, wave pool, lazy river, sunscreen and sunburns~

Lisanna looked at the view in front of her, looked at Levy, and then looked back at the view. The sight that greeted her was slightly … sad. Water slides that had been bleached colorless from obviously spending too many years in the sun, a wave pool that boasted six inch waves, a kiddie pool that seemed to be half the size of one that was easily purchased at the local supermarket, and a slow moving moat running around it all were all that she could see.

"Remind me again why we are going to a water park when there is a perfectly good beach just ten minutes away," she said.

"Lisanna, I promised you an authentic Magnolia experience," Levy said as she led her toward a bank of lockers. "Which means you get the bad along with the good." She was looking for a free locker that wasn't broken. "And when you're in high school your first summer job is either here or the fast food places, if all the college students have gone home." She found one that suited her and started putting their bag and towels in it. She pulled out the spray on sunblock and applied another layer offering it to Lisanna as she continued, "And if the college kids haven't gone home you're babysitting and doing yard work hoping to have the money to be able to come here to hang out with your friends once in awhile." She put the sunblock away and pulled out a padlock and key. She checked that the key did indeed open the lock, then secured their items as well as could be hoped and strung the key around her wrist. "And don't let the look fool you. They might not be the highest slides in the world, but they're still fun, and the Black Hole gives me chills every time."

"So you started out as a lifeguard?" Lisanna asked, curious.

"Oh no," Levy said perfectly seriously, "I started out on the clean up crew and managed to make it to the snack shack by the end of my first summer. I had to get CPR and some other special training before I could do the lifeguard position."

Lisanna was surprised to hear that, but she hadn't given pool cops much consideration before. "What was your favorite position to work here?"

"That's hard to say," Levy said as she showed Lisanna where to pick up one of the mats needed to slide on the first ride, "because each area has it's own unique, soul-sucking boredom associated with it. Being lifeguard at the wave pool is just a lot of counting heads over and over again, and an occasional whistle blow to make everyone get out while the pool has to be decontaminated." Levy shivered at a particularly nasty memory. "The kiddie pool is just a constant repetition of the phrase 'No running!' while the little imps continue to dash around the place." They'd finally reached the end of the line and now had to wait patiently as people moved one space at a time. "Doing refreshments wasn't too bad, except when the patrons are complaining about slow service or the price of the food. Did you know most people don't realize that servers don't actually set the price of the food? And that they aren't the ones to have instituted the No Outside Food or Drink policy?"

Lisanna giggled. "Really?" she asked in mock surprise, "I am shocked to hear it."

"Yeah," Levy said dryly, "you'd think more people would have figured it out."

"So, you didn't have anything that you liked to do when you worked here?" Lisanna asked. "That sounds like a lot of bleak summers."

"No it wasn't bleak," Levy hastily said, "but it was work, and sometimes all you can say is that it was work." She smiled and added, "I think I enjoyed working the slides the best. Especially the ones the littles would go on. When you could see that they were so scared to go on their own, but then they work up their courage, and they scream all the way down you think you'll never see that one again, but then here they come right back and sometimes it's the whole scared-courage-scream cycle and other times they have a fire or are ready to take on the bigger slides. That's really the best."

Lisanna looked carefully at the line they had been shunted into and noticed that they were at least a foot taller than most of the rest of the line. "Levy, are we in the line for the little kids' slide?"

Levy smirked mischievously. "You have to start at the bottom and work your way to the top before you're ready for," she paused and then dramatically said, "The Black Hole."

Lisanna laughed but stopped when she heard the child next to them gasp.

"You're going on the Black Hole?" he asked with widened eyes.

"Uh, yes?" she answered.

"Have you gone on it before?" the girl next to him asked. She looked almost like a smaller clone of the boy, leading Lisanna to think she must be his younger sister.

"Um, no," Lisanna was wondering about the awe she heard in the little girl's voice.

"Wow!" the girl said, "You're so brave." She turned to the woman who was obviously with them. "Mommy she's going on the Black Hole!" The girl looked back at Lisanna in admiration. "Isn't she brave?"

The woman laughed. "Yes she's **very** brave," her eyes twinkled as she looked at the two young women, "but I think she's probably old enough to- **survive** the Black Hole."

Lisanna heard similar statements from everyone at the park. In line for the slides, lounging in the lazy river, or making small talk with the cashier at lunch the infamous slide was spoken of with reverence, awe, and in some cases unabashed dread. The unbridled fear seemed to be catching, especially as they stood in line waiting for their turn to go down the tube of terror.

"Levy, what have you gotten me into?" Lisanna wailed as they neared the top.

"Lissie, I promise you won't die from going on this ride," she answered with a wicked grin. "And if your heart stops," she continued on, "I know exactly where they keep the AED."

"Somehow, that's not really comforting," she eyed the nervous girl in front of them. One more rider and it would be her turn.

"Look Lissie, I'll go first and meet you at the bottom. Okay?"

Lisanna looked relieved at the small reprieve from her impending doom. "Okay."

The last sighting she had of Levy was her blue hair disappearing into the murky shadows with a scream torn from her throat.

Levy waited with great anticipation at the bottom of the slide. When Lisanna shot out from the bottom her eyes were squeezed shut and her arms firmly clutched across her chest. It took a moment for her to realize that she had stopped moving. She stood up looking around wildly.

"You!" she pointed a finger at Levy when she finally found her. "You devious," she started in Levy's direction, "cunning," she finally made it out of the pool, "horrible, beguiling she-devil!" She had finally reached where Levy waited, tears running down her cheeks from laughter. "All day you tormented me with this," she accused waving in the direction of the water slide, and Levy merely nodded. "I've been hearing the horror stories from every man, woman,and child in this park!" Again Levy could only nod. "You let me believe that this was going to be the most thrilling, heart stopping, terrifying ride I've ever been on!" she stamped her bare foot on the pavement. "All!" she poked Levy's side, "Day!" she poked her other side as the giggling woman squirmed away from her finger, "Long!" a poke to her midsection. "When really it's just-"

Levy threw a hand over her mouth, abruptly stopping her tirade, her other arm supporting her back so that she didn't accidently push Lisanna over.

"Shhhhhh!" she whispered in her ear. "This is all a part of the fun! Don't spoil it!" Levy suddenly seemed to realize how close she was holding Lisanna and, recognizing that Lisanna wasn't going to interrupt, she let her go and stood back. "Sorry about that. I couldn't let you finish that sentence out loud where everyone could hear you." She looked around then quietly offered as she leaned back in, "It's like Fight Club. No one **talks** about the Black Hole after they've **been** on the Black Hole."

Understanding bloomed across Lisanna's face. She was trying to maintain her righteous indignation but it lost to her natural disposition for fun. She let out a little chuckle. "Oh, you got me. You got me good Ms. Levy Aloysius McGarden."

"Aloysius?" Levy was clearly confused.

"Give me a break it's the worst name I could think of in the heat of the moment," Lisanna said with a grin. "Make no mistake, I will be getting you back for this."

"I have no doubt about that," Levy said. "So...uh...Do you want to go again?"

"Are you kidding?!" Lisanna scowled and Levy looked worried. "Of course I want to go again! And this time I'm keeping my eyes wide open."

As they stood in line a nervous voice cut into their conversation.

"Excuse me, but have you gone on this slide before?" the young man, who couldn't have been more than twelve, asked.

"Yeah," Lisanna said with a friendly smile.

"How bad was it?" he asked clearly worried.

"Well I know it's different for everyone," Lisanna said, "but I hear that they have lifeguards with defibrillators at the bottom just in case your heart stops."

He moaned and closed his eyes at her words while Lisanna turned back to move forward in line.

Levy put her arm around Lisanna's shoulder and gave her a hug. "That's my girl. You were perfect," she whispered into her ear.

They moved forward again. Levy looked closely at Lisanna and put a hand to her face. There was definitely a lot of heat there, and Lisanna had paled, like she might faint soon. Levy began to worry since heat stroke was nothing to take lightly. She declared, "We'd better get in the shade and maybe apply more sunblock after this ride. Your cheeks are starting to turn pink."

Lisanna knew it wasn't the sun that was heating her up, but merely nodded in agreement.


	6. Down on the Boardwalk

~Being "tourists" for the day~

Levy checked Lisanna's handiwork. "I think the baseball cap would be better than the fedora."

"Well okay, but the fedora really screams 'tourist' to me," Lisanna said as she switched the hats.

"How do I look?" Levy asked before turning to check herself in the mirror.

"You look like the perfect example of every stereotype of a seaside tourist I've ever seen," Lisanna assured her.

They were dressed in tank tops with Hawaiian print shirts over top, khaki Bermuda shorts, white ankle socks, and sandals. They topped off their look with silvered sunglasses and hats. Their visit to the Blue Pegasus Thrift Shop had yielded most of their outfits, the challenge had been to spend less than five dollars and Lisanna had enough change left over to buy the hideous orange handbag that now hung across her body.

"Let me grab my camera and then we can go," Levy said as Lisanna continued to fidget with the purse strap.

They arrived early at the boardwalk taking ridiculous amounts of pictures as if they had never heard of the ocean or, presumably, seen storefronts before in their entire existence. Levy had reserved wristbands that allowed them unlimited access to the all the rides along the boardwalk, so they made sure to grab them right away.

They were first in line for the rollercoaster which Lisanna had begged to ride, and since she enjoyed it so much they rode it three more times. Levy insisted that Lisanna try the twirling dragon ride claiming that was infamous as the ride that **will** make you vomit. They took a moment to enjoy the ferris wheel and let their stomachs settle, while getting a magnificent view of the ocean. They decided to try their luck on a few of the carnival games in the arcade. Lisanna won the steeplechase game while Levy won skeeball. They racked up what seemed to be quite a few tickets, but when they turned them in found that they could get a couple of yo-yos or a tiny, stuffed cat on a keychain. They chose the blue cat. Levy told Lisanna that she should keep it as a memento of their trip to the beach. They took one last turn on the roller coaster before taking a ride on the swirling chain swings. Lisanna declared that she needed to stop turning in circles and get some lunch.

They shared an order of fish and chips with a side of fried calamari at the Mermaid Heel, a restaurant that gave women in difficult circumstances marketable skills and protection until they were able to make it on their own. Lisanna had wanted to get cookies at Makarov's Marvelous Macaroon, but Levy begged off saying she really didn't want to go in on her one day off this week. She promised her a better place for a sweet treat further along the promenade.

"Time for some shopping!" Levy declared when lunch was over.

She lead Lisanna into a nearby antique store and they window shopped the beautiful objects it contained, making guesses on the age of certain pieces, and questioning if something was original, restored, or faked. Lisanna insisted on having her picture taken with the dancing mascot for the Red Lizard that was out on the sidewalk to drum up attention for his store. Levy made sure to dive into the Orochi's Fin, a surf gear shop, to check out several pieces of equipment. She asked Lisanna to model a couple of different windbreakers and some quick drying tops while she took photos. Lisanna demanded that Levy model a wetsuit next to a longboard in front of the window for her to take a picture muttering words like 'juxtaposition of objects' and 'mimetic images' as she framed the scene. A couple of doors down was the Dwarf Gear Shop and both women cooed over the tiny wetsuits and surfboards made for children. Then they had a competition to come up with the cutest beach outfit for a toddler from the items in the store. Lisanna loved the outfit that Levy put together and bought it for her niece declaring, "Evergreen will be the best dressed kid at the pool."

"I'm craving something sweet," Lisanna said as they walked the uneven boards. "I think I'm going to need some sugar soon," she said not too subtly.

"Can you wait a few more minutes?" Levy asked. "We're nearly there."

"Where?"

"Lamia Scale Sweets," Levy replied. "It has the best chocolate and peanut butter fudge on the boardwalk."

"Do they have saltwater taffy?" Lisanna said as she recalled something. "I always get Elfman taffy when we go to the beach, and I've been missing him a little."

"Oh they have tons of taffy flavors, many that can't be found anywhere else," Levy assured her. "They also have specialty candies from around the world as well as retro candies from back in the day." She began to chuckle darkly. "They even have a corner with what they label revenge sweets. Atomic level cinnamon bears, lollipops with scorpions inside, chocolate covered ants, and truffles covered in roasted grasshoppers."

"Oooh, sounds perfect," Lisanna said, a mischievous smile on her face. "That will teach him to be a responsible adult and stay home to 'work' instead of coming to play with me."

"Well if you need help with that, today's your lucky day," Levy said. "My little sister works there and there's no one better at looking entirely sweet and innocent while internally being full of guile and deceit."

"There's a story behind that last statement," Lisanna said, looking at Levy questioningly.

"I'm still not over it," Levy said with a huff, "Let's just say that Wendy has been the family's reigning April Fool's prankster for the last four years and it doesn't look like she's losing her crown anytime soon."

Lisanna laughed. "I think she and Mira would get along like a house on fire," she thought for a moment then said, "but the house would **not** survive."

Levy began to snicker. "I can see the headline now 'Fiore in Flames Thanks to Dastardly Duo' as the world smoulders around them."

Both women were still giggling together when they walked into the candy shop.

"Levy!" the cry came clearly across the store.

Levy waved at the teenager behind the counter. She was dressed in the uniform of the store: A white shirt with frills down the front, large red bow at the neck, a black skirt that was just at knee length, and the no-skid black shoes that seemed to be standard issue in any food service establishment.

"How's your day been going?" Levy asked.

The girl shrugged then said, "It was busy earlier, but it's kind of slacked off now."

"Does that mean you'd be able to help us out with choosing some particular goodies for Lisanna to send home?"

"Yeah, sure," she said as she brightened up and came out from behind the counter. "Did you grab a basket at the front?"

"No, we didn't," Lisanna replied, "I'll go get one." She hurried to the stack of baskets.

"So?" Wendy asked. "How's your date going?"

"It's not a date Wendy," Levy said quickly, "It's just two people hanging out at the boardwalk."

"Who paid for the ride bracelets?" Wendy demanded.

"I did."

"And the arcade games?"

"I guess that was mostly me," Levy admitted.

"Uh-huh," she said with a leer. "Who paid for lunch?"

"We split the check," Levy replied reluctantly, "but only because we shared the food."

They watched as Lisanna stopped at a display of rainbow lollipops. Trying to decide between the various sizes available before choosing several of each.

"And just how often did you **accidentally** reach for the same french fry?" There was a wolfish grin on her face.

Levy blushed. "Maybe more than could be considered statistically probable," she admitted.

"Ha!" Wendy crowed triumphantly as Lisanna rejoined them. "So, what kind of sweets are you in the market for?"

"Well I always get my brother taffy when we come to the beach, but he had to stay home and work, so I want a present that says something like 'Thinking of you, you big lovable jar head, but don't think I've forgiven you just yet for your betrayal.' Do you have anything like that?"

Wendy chortled, "Oh I've got you covered. Just follow me."

She lead them over to a corner to a barrel filled with taffy, the sign above it asked, "Do You DARE?"

Wendy began, "You are no doubt familiar with a certain book about a young man who is dramatically told that he's a wizard." She looked at Lisanna, "His name rhymes with Larry Gott-Her." Wendy easily slipped into the oft repeated spiel. "There is a certain confection in the books that has an unknown taste until eaten."

"You mean Bert-" Lisanna began, but Wendy held up a hand to stop her.

"We do NOT say that name in this shop as we are not affiliated with the author, nor the confectioners that have been licenced to sell the less magical version to the common consumer, thank you." She gestured to the candy behind her. "This barrel contains a mix of look alike taffies, but I assure you they do not taste alike. So now, intrepid explorer, a challenge lies before you. Glory and cavities await, but...DO YOU DARE?" She stopped her presentation with a flourish in the barrel's direction while Levy and Lisanna gave polite golf claps.

Lisanna looked at the candies, "Is there any way to know what's what?"

"Not really," Wendy answered. "We can give you a list of the flavors we use, but that's about the best we can do. There's new batches made every hour and the flavors and colors are randomly selected so the reds you get today that turns out to be grape or lime flavor, are not going to match the reds tomorrow that might be grass or chili pepper."

"That sounds ingeniously devious," Lisanna said.

Wendy smiled, "Thank you. I got a big bonus for coming up with the idea."

"I told you she's not to be trusted where pranking is involved," Levy said.

"On the contrary, she's just the woman for the job," Lisanna argued. "I told her the situation and she had the exact solution I needed. How much do you think I should get?"

"Probably two or three of each color, they try to make sure there's two different flavors per color, if not more," Wendy informed her.

Levy helped her sift through the candy while Lisanna recounted their day. "Oooh, show her the pictures while I look around at what else they have here," she said as she eyed the consumer warning on the Habanero Hot Cinnamon Bears.

Wendy waved them out of the store twenty minutes later grumbling under her breath, "Not a date? Whatever."

They made it to the far end of the boardwalk just as the sun reached the horizon and decided to head back to the car. Levy suggested that the sky ride would get them back quicker and let them sit for a bit. Lisanna looked through her bag from Lamia Scale for something unique for them both to try. Levy had sampled most of the candies, sometimes unwittingly, but finally Lisanna found one.

"It's a **new** candy meant to **seem** retro," Lisanna said as she opened the package.

"What's it called?"

Lisanna blushed before saying, "Love Potion No.9."

"Oh?" Levy laughed. "I've never tried that one before."

"Well here's your chance," Lisanna said holding the box toward her. "But," she waggled her eyebrows, "Do you dare?"


	7. Magnolia Bay Cave Kayaks

~Exploring the caves on Fairy Island by kayak~

Lisanna was so excited for this week's adventure, sea kayaking! Last week Levy's brother, Gajeel, had given her lessons and had her practice for the most common problems that could occur on their trip. She had been watching all the tutorials on safety, technique, and rescue that she could find before the lesson and he'd been impressed with what she knew; though told her that it would still be awhile before she felt like more than a noob on the water. She'd mentioned being nervous about trying to get back in the boat when in the deep water to Levy when they talked on the phone that night. The next day, as she was kicking back in her dorm, she got a call from Levy's oldest brother. Freed invited her to the diving pool there at FT. He helped her practice getting back in a kayak and how to roll over if she capsized in the relatively calm water until she felt secure. Then he had his diving teams make waves for her to practice in a rougher situation. She felt as prepared as possible, but now it was time for the real test.

Levy handed her a gift bag as soon as Lisanna opened the door. "A present from Wendy," was all she said.

"What's in it?"

"I don't know," Levy admitted. "She wouldn't say and made me promise not to look. In fact," she held up her phone where Wendy's face peered out from the screen, "will you please verify that I have just entered your home and that you have not yet opened the gift?"

Lisanna laughed. "Wendy, I promise you that I haven't opened the gift that I have just received."

"Good! Now take Levy's phone in your room and go open it in there."

Levy shoved her phone into Lisanna's hand and started pushing her toward the bedroom.

"Levy what's-"

"Just do what she says!" Levy responded through gritted teeth. "For the love of all things good and pure and booklike in the world, please just do it."

Wendy's evil cackle could be heard even through the closed door.

Lisanna propped up the phone so that Wendy could watch and then started removing tissue paper from the top of the bag. There were two bundles wrapped in decorative paper, then a layer of foil, a different color paper, some waxed paper and another few layers of tissue paper. Levy had mentioned the ridiculous wrapping traditions they had for Christmas, but didn't know it also extended to other gifts. Lisanna was finally able to hold up one of the quick drying tops and a windbreaker from the trip to the boardwalk.

"Thank you Wendy!" she breathed in disbelief. "But, why?"

Wendy merely grinned for a moment, but finally relented. "Everyone else got to help with the adventure and I didn't want to be left out."

"You are a sweet, sweet girl!" she declared, "I don't care what your sister and brothers say. You are simply the best."

"Well I've got you fooled," she commented. "Okay, you can hang up and change. Go ahead and tell Levy that the item is safe," she then amended, "for now."

Lisanna hurried to change so she and Levy could start the adventure. They met Gajeel at the boat rental place where he worked. He made sure that they had dressed properly for the water conditions and that they had their personal safety equipment before handing over kayaks and paddles.

"Freed and Laxus are out on the boat, and they promised to keep an eye out for you two," he said as they put the kayaks in the water. "You have the radio shorty?"

"Yes Mother," Levy said in exasperation. "It's not like we're going that far for our first trip. We won't even be out of sight of a shore for long either, sheesh."

"It's nice of you to be concerned for us, Gajeel," Lisanna said grinning at Levy's outburst.

"Well it's not like I want to lose my best student on her first day," he said handing her the paddle. He smiled broadly as he leaned in and loudly added, "It would break the Shrimp's heart to lose you, too."

"Gajeel!" Levy sputtered. "Don't you have other customers to annoy?"

"Indeed I do short stuff," he gave Lisanna's kayak a little shove to help her off the beach. "Have a good time." He waited until they were too far to easily come back then cupped his mouth and yelled, "Get it girl!"

Levy merely replied by flipping him off.

Levy quietly paddled through the water as Lisanna concentrated on perfecting her strokes. Levy let Lisanna be slightly ahead so that she could set the pace and Levy could assist if she ran into trouble. Occasionally Levy would offer a suggestion or give directions but for the most part they simply enjoyed the light breeze and the warm sun light reflecting off the water.

Lisanna cheered when they finally reached Fairy Island and Levy drank in the sight.

"That was the easy part," she told the exuberant woman. "Now you get to practice your turns and backing up a lot as we try to negotiate the caves."

Lisanna's face fell. "I'm not very good at those, at all."

"No, don't worry about it," Levy rushed to reassure her, "Everyone that goes through these caves gets to do it. You'll be an expert in no time at all!" She reached over and gave Lisanna's hand a quick squeeze then grabbed her own paddle with both hands. "There's one place we're stopping for lunch that I think you'll really love."

"Tell me again why we have all of this stuff in the boat," Laxus grumbled.

Freed huffed. "We're taking the lunch for Levy and Lisanna to Fairy Cove. What don't you understand?"

"What are your favorite Desierto rug, a large box of metal candle holders, several candles, all your throw pillows, and my best silver platters doing in this boat along with the cooler full of food?"

Freed gasped. "How did I ever marry such an unromantic man?" he asked the heavens. Looking back at Laxus he said, "When you plan a picnic in a magical location you don't just roll up with a measly PB&J on white bread with a juice pouch. There should be a soft place to rest. Beautiful accoutrements, fine china, and ethereal music playing. You have to take what nature gives you and elevate it!" one hand jabbed triumphantly in the air. He lowered the arm and added, " **This** is how you woo a woman."

Laxus laughed. "And what do you know about wooing women?"

"I read!" he declared. "And," he added, "as the women's diving coach I've heard more than I ever wanted to know about what women want on a date."

They both laughed together.

"Come on," Freed said looking through the binoculars at the kayakers. "They just made it to the island. We can get this set up and be out of there in the nick of time."

Lisanna was enchanted with the island. They didn't really go into many caves as they weren't accessible until low tide, but there were some arches and tunnels they enjoyed. Levy told her the names of some of the places like Chapel Arch, the Eye of the Needle, and Fairy Heart. Lisanna's favorite was the one called the Key Hole that was indeed shaped like an old fashioned skeleton key.

Levy lead Lisanna through several connected caves until they came upon a scene from a fairy tale. A huge cavern was in front of them; a circular hole in the ceiling let in light to illuminate a private beach with a ten foot arch leading back to the ocean. On the beach was a setting from out of one of Shahrazad's stories. The rich red carpet was set with a feast under crystal covers, and the candles glowed faintly giving off an enticing, spicy aroma, pillows were inviting them to join the scene, and soft music played from an unseen source.

"Um," Levy said suddenly at a loss for words, "I didn't know Freed would go all out like this. I just asked him if they could bring the food, since I've had a soggy lunch or two on kayaking trips." She looked sheepishly in Lisanna's direction. "Sorry."

"It's beautiful!" Lisanna breathed. She looked back at Levy. "Your brother loves you a lot, Levy. There's no need to apologize for that." She reached a hand out toward Levy, who caught it. "All of your siblings care about you and want you to be happy, so let's not spoil their fun. What do you say?"

Levy just looked from Lisanna to the beach and back at Lisanna. She gave her a grateful smile. "You're right. Let's get over there and enjoy my brother's over enthusiastic generosity."

Lisanna's laugh rang through the air and echoed off the walls. "I hope I get to repay the favor someday."

When they had finished eating, Lisanna suggested they pack everything up to make things easier for Freed and Laxus, but Levy simply shook her head.

"Laxus left me a note asking us to just make sure the food got put away." Levy was blushing as she continued, "He apparently feels that he needs to show his husband that he can indeed recognize romance when it, and I quote, 'bites him on the ass'."

They both broke out in nervous titters, but realizing how ridiculous they were being, genuine laughter soon rang through the cavern as they put the dishes away.

"Come on," Lisanna said as she helped Levy to her feet. "Let's get back to shore so your brother-in-law can romance-"

"Don't say it," Levy said. "I'm already trying to forget what he wrote and the image it inspired."

Lisanna giggled at the face Levy was making. "I think it sounds incredibly cute."

"Oh, those two can be so adorable together," she acknowledged. "They're so sickeningly sweet that you can feel the cavities forming just by looking at them for too long," she said as she climbed back into her kayak. "But as much as I like reading about love, I think I just get jealous when I see them, or my parents, actually **being** that much in love." She waited for Lisanna to start off and then continued. "They all seem to just get more and more…" she paused to think of the word, "ugh," she waved her paddle in the air, "They're just more in love each day even after all their years together!"

Lisanna stopped and looked out at the view of the water stretching endlessly before her. "Isn't that what you want?" she timidly asked.

"Yeah," Levy nodded, certainty coloring her words, "It's like that saying, 'I crave a love so deep that even the ocean gets jealous'."

"That's one of my favorite quotes," Lisanna said as she started to paddle for the mainland in earnest. "I hope you find it some day."

Levy watched as Lisanna lead the way home. "I hope I already have," she thought to herself.


	8. Oh, Those Summer Nights

~Tell me more, tell me more~

Levy and Lisanna lay in the hammock in Levy's yard looking up at the clouds in the sky. They were taking a well deserved rest from their busy day.

Levy had been roped into sitting her nephews while Freed and Laxus ran the summer camps for their respective teams. Gajeel was attending the football camp and working as one of the assistant coaches, so he couldn't watch the boys. Wendy had to work all morning, so she was out the the question as well. Normally Grammy and PopPop, Levy's parents, watched Cliff and CJ when their dads had camp at the same time but they were still on their way home from visiting a friend out of town. Lisanna had agreed that they could postpone their last adventure till tomorrow and had even asked if she could accompany Levy and the boys for the day. What a day it had been!

It started off making breakfast for the boys, big and little, as well as for Wendy, before they all scattered to the four winds. Then they packed lunches and made sure everyone had sunscreen on as they headed for the neighborhood park. Levy and Lisanna pushed swings, turned the merry-go-round, and in general trailed after the boys as they climbed, crawled, and romped over various pieces of equipment. Just as the boys seemed to be losing interest in the playground the water features were turned on. They started shooting the water canons, waiting for the buckets to fill overhead and dump their contents on them, dashed through the tunnels made from a ton of tiny spray nozzles, and splashed in every puddle they could find. Levy called a halt when CJ's lips had started turning purple. For boys that claimed they weren't hungry they certainly wolfed down the sandwiches and chips quickly. Levy insisted on re-applying sunscreen and half an hour in the shade before the boys were loosed on the park again. When CJ and Cliff started arguing over who got to sit in one swing in particular, Levy announced it was time to go home. When Cliff asked why she told him it was because that's where the ice cream lived, and he was much more eager to get in and buckle up than he had been previously.

Lisanna thought the boys would be getting out of their wet clothes as soon as they got home, but Levy knew her nephews and there was no need to change right away. They each got to choose a popsicle to eat in the backyard, and while much of it made it in their mouths some did indeed end on face, hands, shirt, and in CJ's case toes. Levy got the boys cleaned up and had them choose one book each to read together on the hammock outside. CJ had insisted on sitting in Lisanna's lap while Levy read with Cliff between them.

Freed had come to pick up his kids while they were still reading and commented on how cute storytime looked. The boys thanked Lisanna and Levy, and Freed payed them for their time, before taking off.

Now they were sitting in the hammock enjoying the peace and quiet while the sunshine filtered down through the tree leaves above them.

As it turned to late afternoon Levy started to get text messages from her family members. Her mom said that they were going to dinner with Freed and Laxus and then heading to a movie, since they didn't need to hurry home. An hour later another message from her mom let her know that Gajeel was going to be spending the rest of the day with other assistant coaches from the camp and not to expect him for dinner.

The text from Wendy was a little more cryptic: "I'm saving it for the announcement. No worries. I won't interfere."

When Levy asked her for clarification, Wendy went silent. Levy continued to spam her sister's phone until she finally received a reply. It was a single photo. Lisanna with CJ and Cliff eagerly watching Levy read to them. The look on Lisanna's face made heat rush to Levy's cheeks.

"I think we may have made too much food," Levy said as she brought out the vegetable skewers. Lisanna had already started the coals for the grill after they had cut up fruit and vegetables to barbecue.

"Really?" Lisanna looked up from fanning the flames to get the coals ready to cook. "Who's missing?"

"Um, all of them," Levy said with a grimace.

Lisanna merely laughed. "I guess we really do have, too much, especially since we factored in Gajeel and his ravenous appetite." She looked at the stacks of skewers and then asked, "So, what should we do with all of this?"

"Let's grill it anyway," Levy replied. "It'll make great sandwiches for the park tomorrow."

Dinner had been simple and delicious followed by a viewing of the stunning black and white, modern version of "Much Ado About Nothing."

"What do you say to some dessert?" Levy asked when the credits started rolling.

"What did you have in mind?"

"Well since there are some coals that are probably still hot, what would you say to making some s'mores?"

"Oooh, I think you can't go wrong with toasted marshmallows and chocolate between graham crackers," Lisanna said with a grin.

As they sat in the backyard roasting marshmallows Levy asked Lisanna what her favorite activity of the summer had been.

Lisanna thought for awhile before answering. "I've really enjoyed all of our outings so it would be hard to choose just one, but if I had to I guess I'd say..."

"Yeah?" Levy held her breath.

"I think just hanging out today with you and the kids was probably the best of all."

Levy's smile lit up the night. A thought occurred to her, "Does this mean you don't want to go to Mashima Gardens tomorrow to see Shakespeare in the Park?"

"What? No way do I want to cancel! You promised me a summer full of Magnolia's best adventures." She nudged her with her shoulder before adding, "Besides, who knows, tomorrow might be the best one yet?"

Levy laughed. "Yeah, you're probably right. And I did think that the show would totally be the best conclusion to the summer."

"Why's that?"

"It's just the title of the play seemed so fitting," Levy said with a twinkle.

"What are we going to see again?" Lisanna's brow furrowed as she tried to recall. She remembered and broke into laughter.

Together they said, "All's Well That Ends Well!"


End file.
